Michael Keaton praises Will Arnett's performance in The LEGO Batman Movie. Keaton was one of the first actors to don the cape and cowl in a feature film for Tim Burton's 1989 Batman, co-starring Jack Nicholson as The Joker, and again for Batman Returns in 1992. Burton's darker take on the iconic DC character, along with Keaton's acclaimed portrayal, is credited with introducing a new generation to the comics, paving the way for future adaptations by Christopher Nolan and Zack Snyder.
Thirty years after his last portrayal, Keaton will reprise his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman in Andy Muschietti's upcoming DCEU film, The Flash, which will also see Ben Affleck reprise his version of the same character. All the while, Matt Reeves' forthcoming Batman movie will introduce another iteration of the Caped Crusader portrayed by Robert Pattinson. With almost too many Batmen to keep track of, animated versions such as Will Arnett's LEGO Batman are sometimes overlooked.
Michael Keaton appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to promote his latest miniseries, Dopesick, when the conversation naturally veered into Batman. After Colbert called Keaton's version "the gold standard," Keaton revealed he was a fan of another iteration: Will Arnett's LEGO version.
I'll tell you a great version, and that is, if you haven't seen it or heard it, Will Arnett's LEGO Batman is really funny.
Best known for his comedic turns in Arrested Development and BoJack Horseman, Arnett's LEGO Batman debuted in 2014's The LEGO Movie. After this reimagination of the iconic character in plastic form was such a hit, he was given a solo spin-off in 2017, The LEGO Batman Movie. Despite being a fun family comedy, some consider it one of the best Batman movies ever made. Though the movie seemed destined for a sequel, a rights issue will, unfortunately, prevent The LEGO Batman 2 movie from happening.
It's nice to see Keaton giving due praise to a fellow Batman actor's performance, especially one that is often overlooked since it's not live-action. Arnett returned to voice Batman as recently as 2019 in The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, though this will likely be the last time since Warner Bros. opted not to renew the LEGO movie film rights. Instead, fans can look forward to Matt Reeves' Batman movie followed by Keaton's highly-anticipated reprisal in The Flash, both of which will be releasing next year.